Households neighboring the University of Kentucky’s Arboretum have more or less adopted a turkey living in the area.
The turkey has a few different names, “Edna” or “Hot Brown,” but most locals call her Dorothy. Dorothy is usually found within the Arboretum but can venture into the neighboring yards. Lexington resident Karen Dobson, whose property backs up to the Arboretum, told WKYT that Dorothy favors her yard in particular, most likely because her father has been leaving food out. She’s even brave enough to sit on their porch.
“I think she’s really kind of gravitated toward people,” Dobson said. “Places where there are free food and birdbaths for a drink of water and, so, she’s become very domesticated.”
A turkey appears ill-equipped to handle city life, but Dobson assures that Dorothy can handle herself. “She’s been able to navigate most things,” Dobson said. “Traffic, dogs, cats, humans.”
Dobson went on. “It’s something you’re not really expecting, and you see it, and you think, ‘Wow, this is wildlife right in the middle of Lexington.”
Although Dorothy is beginning a reclusive streak due to the colder weather, Dorothy’s community still watches over her with excitement and diligence. The beloved turkey’s following has spawned its own Facebook group, “Friends of Dorothy The Turkey,” with 247 members as of Sep. 25.
According to the most recent Facebook post, as of Sep. 25, Ashley Moore Kirkwood spotted Dorothy at 7:30 am on Sep. 24, crossing Glendover Rd. In previous posts, residents of the area reported Dorothy looking both ways before she crossed the street.
In a post dated Aug. 31, Kelly Harrison, a visiting Los Angeles resident, encountered Dorothy during a walk at the Arboretum, getting close enough for an impromptu photo shoot with the bird. When she described the encounter to a woman passing by, the woman said, “She’s been a resident here since she was separated from her flock a couple of years ago and has made this her home. There’s plenty of food for her here, and we love that she’s stayed.”
